Online NewsHour -- Sierra Leone

Can the U.N. Peacekeepers Complete Their Mission?
As the standoff with the rebels intensified and more peacekeepers were killed, critics began to wonder if the UN could end the violence in Sierra Leone. Four experts examined peacekeeping in the war-torn nation and considered whether peacekeepers were up to the task. (5/9/00)

Violence Kills Four Peacekeepers, Threatens Mission
In May of 2000, violence flared again and this time, United Nations peacekeepers were in the crossfire. Four Kenyans were killed and 69 taken hostage as the UN force attempted to disarm the rebels. Sierra Leone's ambassador to the UN and a journalist discussed the difficult mission. (5/4/00)

Violence Threatened as the UN Approves Peacekeeping Force
In July the government and leading rebels signed a peace accord to end years of civil war. Despite these efforts, ethnic tension and lingering anger continued to spark fighting, particularly in the northern part of the country.

In October, the United Nations approved a 6,000-person force to bring peace to the region and disarm the rebels. Two regional experts discussed the likelihood that the peacekeepers will end the violence in the region. (10/26/99)

Feeling the Effects of the 1997 Coup
In 1997, a branch of the military, citing concerns over corruption and rebel activity, toppled the democratically- elected government of Ahmed Tejan Kabbah.

The coup ends a year of relative stability, sparking widespread violence between rebel forces and the new government. Charlayne Hunter-Gault discussed the situation within the country a week after the coup. (6/4/97)

A Timeline of Key Moments from Sierra Leone's Troubled Past
A look back at Sierra Leone's history.

Court Indicts Liberian Leader
Update: A U.N.-backed war crimes court in Sierra Leone on Wednesday indicted Charles Taylor, president of neighboring Liberia, charging him with "bearing the greatest responsibility" for Sierra Leone's brutal 10-year civil war. (6/4/03)

Court Indicts Seven on War Crimes Charges
Update: Prosecutors in a special United Nations court in Sierra Leone charge seven people, including a chief rebel leader and a former cabinet minister, with participating in the mass slaughter that killed an estimated 20,000 people during the West African nation's brutal 10-year civil war. (3/10/03)

Truth and Justice: Sierra Leone's Slow Recovery
As Sierra Leone's people work to heal from a decade of brutal civil war, the United Nations has created an international court aimed at bringing those behind the conflict's killings and mutilations to justice.

Fred de Sam Lazaro reports on Sierra Leone's continued instability and the war's effects on business and culture. (1/23/03)

Government, Rebel Leaders Declare End to Decade of War
More than a decade after a civil war began in the tiny West African nation of Sierra Leone, rebel and government groups gathered Friday to publicly declare an end to the bloody conflict.

"The war is over," President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah told thousands in the capital of Freetown. "Go and enjoy yourselves."

The declaration of peace is also seen as a victory for United Nations peacekeepers who fought a sometimes deadly battle to disarm thousands of rebels.